Top Comments From Mashable Readers This Week

Facebook Users Say Private Messages Appear Publicly

Even if you take care to keep your Facebook messages private, privacy settings can change in an instant. Although Facebook denied any changes to its settings, our readers claimed they had private messages posted to their timeline.

Click here to view this gallery.

[More from Mashable: Voice-Guided Directions Dispute Torpedoed Google Maps for iOS 6]

Here at Mashable, the week kicked off with conversations about social good with the Social Good Summit serving as the platform for a three-day global conversation. Activists, humanitarians, entrepreneurs and CEOs all discussed how social media can affect positive change on a global scale. The conversation even broke a world record: It was the largest conversation around a single topic to ever occur in one day.

As 92nd Street Y President Stuart J. Ellman pointed out, one important message from the summit was that "social media and technology are not agents of change. They are just tools. We the connected people are the agents of change." This week on Mashable we saw different examples of how we can use these tools. While technology can bring beautiful innovation, it can also promote the rapid dissemination of prejudice. Our community provided insightful commentary around the disparate ways social media can both bring us together and drive us apart.

[More from Mashable: Google?s New Maps App for iPhone Won?t Come for Months [REPORT]]

Even though we are more globally connected than ever before, some old rivalries continue to keep readers engaged in debate. Google and Apple products continue to face off, while the struggling underdogs Blackberry and Myspace are throwing their hats back in the ring.

Adding insult to injury, Google Maps this week unveiled an underwater "street view" feature which met an overwhelmingly positive response.

Facebook caused a social media malestrom when some users reported that private messages prior to 2010 had become publicly visible. Although Facebook claimed that no such leak had occurred, our readers had a different opinion. We also discovered a bug on Facebook that keeps post from being erased. While Facebook combatted accusations that it was releasing private information, Justin Timberlake was bringing Myspace back with a redesign for the social networking website that once reigned supreme.

But no matter the platform you're using, ultimately the greatest social media blunders are purely the result of human failings. Our readers shared some of the most memorable social media gaffes of the past few years.

However, in addition to providing us with a platform on which to screw up, the Internet also gives us a chance to learn from our mistakes. This week, the Reddit community was schooled by a Sikh woman who responded to a photo someone had posted of her as a joke. The original poster saw her response, reconsidered his original post and publicly apologized for his actions. See the gallery above for our community's reactions.

Our readers are a vital part of the Mashable experience. We encourage you to be a part of the ongoing conversation by joining Mashable Follow and brushing up on our community guidelines. Next week you might be featured in our weekly rundown of the top discussions!

Image courtesy of Flickr, ntr23

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/top-comments-mashable-readers-week-152544015.html

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6th Annual Bark in the Park | WTVR.com ? Richmond News ...

(WTVR) ? It is your chance to help homeless animals in our area.

This morning the Henrico Humane Society is partnering with the county parks and rec for the 6th year to provide a day of fun for you and your dog.

Bark in the Park is going on at Dorey Park in the County?s east end.

Source: http://wtvr.com/2012/09/29/6th-annual-bark-in-the-park/

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Barnes & Noble Cuts GlowLight Nook Price To $119 As Amazon Prepares To Ship Its Paperwhite Kindles

Amazon's shiny new Kindle Paperwhite will start trickling out of the company's myriad warehouses in short order, but it seems e-reading rival Barnes & Noble won't let Amazon set foot in the illuminated e-reader market unanswered. To that end, B&N has announced that it has cut the price of its conceptually similar Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight from $139 to $119 ? the same price as Amazon's ad-supported Paperwhite model.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/478KxqzWyrM/

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Patient selection for bilateral total knee replacement needs improvement

ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2012) ? Because there are more risks with having a total knee replacement in both legs at the same time than having a knee replacement in one leg, doctors in recent years have been selecting younger and healthier patients for the bilateral procedure. Now a new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery has revealed that although patients are younger and healthier than those undergoing only one-sided surgery, they are becoming sicker and some complication rates have risen.

"Although we are selecting younger people, we can't ignore the fact that the population in general is getting sicker," said Stavros Memtsoudis, M.D., Ph.D., director of Critical Care Services at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, who led the study. "Many of the complications that we studied didn't decrease over time as you would expect with younger patients and better health care, and some of the complications even increased." The study is published online ahead of print in the journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.

Rising levels of obesity appear to be driving the complication rates, as well as the increase in the utilization of total knee replacements. Obesity puts extra stress on joints and bones and can cause premature osteoarthritis.

To conduct their research into trends regarding bilateral total knee replacements, researchers at HSS turned to the Nationwide Inpatient Survey, sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This is the largest inpatient database available in the United States that includes information on patients of all ages. It collects data from about 20% of all hospitalizations in the U.S. The study investigators identified 258,524 bilateral total knee replacements performed between 1999 and 2008. The number of annual bilateral procedures increased by 75%. In 1999, bilateral procedures accounted for 3.7% of all knee replacement operations and in 2008, they accounted for 6% of the operations.

The average age of patients undergoing bilateral knee replacement decreased by 2.5 years from 1999 to 2008. As the years marched on, patients presented with higher rates of comorbidities, including renal failure, neurologic disease, liver disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Obesity increased by 131% during the study period. The only comorbidity that decreased was congestive heart failure.

Over the time period studied, the researchers identified a 3% increase in pneumonia, a 6% increase in pulmonary embolism, and a 3% increase in nonmyocardial infarction cardiac complications.

"The take home message of this paper is that we are fighting an uphill battle, because people are getting sicker, despite us attempting to limit risk by choosing younger people to do these procedures in," said Dr. Memtsoudis. "We have to start thinking of other interventions other than patient selection that we can implement in order to reduce these complications."

On a positive note, the investigators also found that absolute in-hospital mortality rates decreased at an average rate of 10% per year. The researchers attribute this decrease to advances in medicine and increased use of telemetry and observation in the last 10 to 15 years. "With advances in medicine and monitoring, we have been able to counteract this extreme event of mortality. If you get a complication and it is not recognized, you may die from it," said Dr. Memtsoudis. "If you observe people more thoroughly, you may not be able to prevent the complication, but you may be able to prevent a mortal event resulting from it."

The researchers also identified a cost shifting landscape. Patients stayed in the hospital an average of five days after their procedure in 1999 and an average of four days in 2008, but the proportion of discharges to a home or customary residence without home health care decreased at an average rate of 5.5% per year.

"Before this study, we were under the assumption that patient complications were steadily decreasing after bilateral knee arthroplasty, because of better patient selection and improvements in medical care," said Dr. Memtsoudis. "Now we understand that the picture is more complex. Patients being selected for the procedure may be getting younger, but they are not getting healthier and maybe that is why we don't see a drastic drop in complications."

Before embarking on a bilateral knee replacement, he said, patients should "critically look at themselves and talk to their physicians about how their health status plays into the choice of surgery."

More work is needed to identify ways to prevent complications in patients undergoing bilateral knee replacement and a recent conference sponsored by the Hospital for Special Surgery is aiming to do just that. The Consensus Conference on the Creation of Guidelines for Bilateral Knee Arthroplasty involved 40 experts from 16 institutions. The guidelines coming out of this conference, which are expected to be published within the next six months, address issues such as determining the appropriate workup and management for a patient undergoing bilateral knee replacement, and how long doctors should wait between procedures if a patient undergoes two operations.

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---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Hospital for Special Surgery, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Stavros G. Memtsoudis, Carlos B. Mantilla, Javad Parvizi, Ottokar Stundner, Madhu Mazumdar. Have Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasties Become Safer?: A Population-Based Trend Analysis. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research?, 2012; DOI: 10.1007/s11999-012-2608-9

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/aTlkoVATYFQ/120929140401.htm

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Pick the NCAA Tournament Field Contest

College Hockey Weekly is having a "Predict the NCAA Tournament" Contest on their website right now (all entries must be in by October 6th). Similar to their contest for the Greatest Teams, the winner will receive a jersey of their favorite college hockey team. Anyway, for those interested, here is the link to enter that contest...

http://www.collegehockeyweekly.com/2...t-Contest.html

I can't put an entry in (as a contributor to the website), but here was my field

#1 Seeds:
BC
Minnesota
North Dakota
Western Michigan

#2 Seeds:
Lowell
SCSU
Cornell
Notre Dame

#3 Seeds:
Michigan
Union
Wisconsin
BU

#4 Seeds:
Harvard
Miami
Denver
Bentley

I thought we could use this thread as a way to make some predictions about the NCAA Tournament Field, as well as talk about the contest.

Source: http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?101234-Pick-the-NCAA-Tournament-Field-Contest&goto=newpost

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Minister: Japan must quickly phase out nuke energy

TOKYO (AP) ? Japan's industry minister said the country must give up nuclear power plants as soon as possible because they pose too much risk in one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.

Yukio Edano said last year's meltdowns after a tsunami hit the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant showed that nuclear power's cost is too high. He expressed the opinion in his new book of policy views that hit stores Saturday.

Edano, who served top government spokesman during the height of the nuclear crisis last year, said he came to the conclusion after seeing "what was believed to be masterpiece of modern technology succumb to natural disaster so easily."

"Now I want to eliminate nuclear power plants as soon as possible," he wrote in the book, "Even if I get a beating, I must say this."

Japan, whose land is the size of California with the population of 128 million, "is not fit to hold the risk of nuclear power plants," he said.

Massive radiation leaks from the Fukushima Dai-ichi contaminated land, trees and crops around the plant, forcing more than 100,000 people to leave their homes and making some areas uninhabitable for years. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co, burdened with massive cost of cleanup and compensation, had to be nationalized.

Edano, however, said nuclear energy cannot be eliminated overnight. The process takes a difficult task to fight "counteraction" and face "debts" that nuclear energy has produced.

The most serious problem is spent fuel buildup at each plant as well as an additional storage at a fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori prefecture, northern Japan. The country lacks plans about what to do with the highly radioactive waste.

Japan's government adopted a plan this month to phase-out nuclear energy by 2040. The plan leaves out many details unclear, including what to do with waste buildup or how best to promote green energy, prompting criticism that the government backed down due to pressure from businesses and communities that depend on the nuclear industry.

Plans to abandon nuclear energy means that the Rokkasho fuel recycling operation won't be needed. Fearing a possibility of their region becoming a final waste dump site, officials and residents in Aomori have threatened to send thousands of tons of spent fuel at the Rokkasho plant back to where they came from. Edano said such a move would immediately fill up storage space at most of Japan's 17 nuclear plants and make them inoperable. He urged big electricity users in major cities to think seriously about the pressing issue and share the burden and cost.

Edano also stressed the need to end the monopoly in the power industry to help promote renewable energy and speed up nuclear phase-out. He told reporters Friday that further details would be decided by a new industry minister after a Cabinet reshuffle expected next week.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who was re-elected last year as head of his ruling party, is expected to make minor changes to his Cabinet lineup Monday.

?2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://www.ksn.com/news/world/story/Minister-Japan-must-quickly-phase-out-nuke-energy/GgJM4mX9n0a1faiZt3JuLQ.cspx?rss=1990

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Applying for a job help with these questions - ClutchFans

?

Applying for a job help with these questions

Yesterday, 12:24 PM	? #1
Member Since: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,279 Member: #34755	???
	What experience do you have interpreting and applying written policies, procedures, laws and regulations? Describe a time when you had to alter a plan because something unexpected occurred. What changes did you have to make to accommodate the situation? Describe the techniques you use to maintain high productivity in your current or previous job? This is a supplemental questionnaire the state department is asking for. Help out a fellow clutchfan. My prior experience is mostly sales and IT. I only ask because i know some of you are much better than I am at technical writing. __________________ Olajuwon.....at his peak arguably the best player in the history of basketball
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Yesterday, 12:28 PM	? #2
Member Since: May 2012 Posts: 338 Member: #50944	???
	Quote: What experience do you have interpreting and applying written policies, procedures, laws and regulations? Describe a time when you had to alter a plan because something unexpected occurred. What changes did you have to make to accommodate the situation? Describe the techniques you use to maintain high productivity in your current or previous job? This is a supplemental questionnaire the state department is asking for. Help out a fellow clutchfan. My prior experience is mostly sales and IT. I only ask because i know some of you are much better than I am at technical writing. No one can answer those questions for you. Maybe you should first type a response to each question and post them. That would make it a lot easier for someone to help. __________________ "That's why I won't complain too much, because at the end of the day... We're all people. We just want to smile." - Arian Foster
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Yesterday, 12:31 PM	? #3
Contributing Member Since: Jun 2003 Posts: 702 Member: #12561	???
	Quote: No one can answer those questions for you. Maybe you should first type a response to each question and post them. That would make it a lot easier for someone to help. Holy @&$! HR is already on to you. Abort! __________________ Women are so strange in their influence that they temp you to misplaced kindness. Thomas Hardy
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Yesterday, 03:57 PM	? #11
Contributing Member Since: Jun 2001 Posts: 302 Member: #2668	???
	Sorry to hijack the thread but I didn't want to start a new one. I have an offer from a company and it's the first mention of salary... Do you always try to negotiate a higher base pay? They offer the typical 401k matching, health insurance, etc... Thanks!
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Yesterday, 09:01 PM	? #12
Contributing Member Since: Aug 2002 Posts: 10,417 Member: #6676	???
	Quote: Sorry to hijack the thread but I didn't want to start a new one. I have an offer from a company and it's the first mention of salary... Do you always try to negotiate a higher base pay? They offer the typical 401k matching, health insurance, etc... Thanks! Depends on your experience, the job, the job market, the company, etc. If you do not have experience, you don't really have much of a bargaining chip, especially if there are others who have applied for your position in this economy. There are exceptions to this of course, such as prestigious degree, shortage of people with your expertise etc. You might consider negotiating your vacation time if they are not willing to move on your salary. Good luck. __________________ Rebuild? Aint nobody got time for that! Carmelo Anthony ordered Chinese take-out.
?

Yesterday, 10:58 PM	? #14
Member Since: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,154 Member: #34532	???
	Let me wing it: What experience do you have interpreting and applying written policies, procedures, laws and regulations? This is one aspect of my job so I have some experience at reviewing and commenting at laws (including the bills), procedures, regulations, policies etc. Describe a time when you had to alter a plan because something unexpected occurred. What changes did you have to make to accommodate the situation? Without providing you the specifics, as a part of our legal team, when a plan did not go as I expected it to, I convened one of our meetings to discuss the situation (as endorsed by our head legal officer). Together with my team, we formulated various steps that could be taken as well as the various drawbacks if ever such steps were taken. When you make a decision, it is not always full proof. There will be some negative impacts a long the way. It is better to know them before hand. Also, although it is difficult, you should be ready for the unexpected. They keywords are always prepare. Not just prepare. Always prepare. You can slack off sometimes but be ready just in case. Note: I am the one who slacks off when we're doing very little or nothing at work . Describe the techniques you use to maintain high productivity in your current or previous job? My team has internal deadlines before the actual deadlines for us to review the reports and for ample time to modify such reports. Note: If the reports are total BS, it's time for the sleepless nights once again . Tips: When you cannot relate to the questions specifically, turn them into general statements and answer them in a general sense. The second and third questions can be answered in a general sense whether you work in the IT field, engineering, finance, etc. You can paraphrase my answers but it should be believably coming from you and your field of expertise. Would you believe at first construction tips from a surgeon? I think not. Do not apply for a job that you cannot do competently (except if the salary is that good ). You can copy exactly my answers but I guarantee that you will not be convincing any scrutinizing employer any time soon. I hope this helps. Time to eat __________________ "Prepare for every game like you just lost your last game." -- Lon Kruger
?

Yesterday, 11:34 PM	? #15
Member Since: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,279 Member: #34755	???
	Quote: Let me wing it: What experience do you have interpreting and applying written policies, procedures, laws and regulations? This is one aspect of my job so I have some experience at reviewing and commenting at laws (including the bills), procedures, regulations, policies etc. Describe a time when you had to alter a plan because something unexpected occurred. What changes did you have to make to accommodate the situation? Without providing you the specifics, as a part of our legal team, when a plan did not go as I expected it to, I convened one of our meetings to discuss the situation (as endorsed by our head legal officer). Together with my team, we formulated various steps that could be taken as well as the various drawbacks if ever such steps were taken. When you make a decision, it is not always full proof. There will be some negative impacts a long the way. It is better to know them before hand. Also, although it is difficult, you should be ready for the unexpected. They keywords are always prepare. Not just prepare. Always prepare. You can slack off sometimes but be ready just in case. Note: I am the one who slacks off when we're doing very little or nothing at work . Describe the techniques you use to maintain high productivity in your current or previous job? My team has internal deadlines before the actual deadlines for us to review the reports and for ample time to modify such reports. Note: If the reports are total BS, it's time for the sleepless nights once again . Tips: When you cannot relate to the questions specifically, turn them into general statements and answer them in a general sense. The second and third questions can be answered in a general sense whether you work in the IT field, engineering, finance, etc. You can paraphrase my answers but it should be believably coming from you and your field of expertise. Would you believe at first construction tips from a surgeon? I think not. Do not apply for a job that you cannot do competently (except if the salary is that good ). You can copy exactly my answers but I guarantee that you will not be convincing any scrutinizing employer any time soon. I hope this helps. Time to eat Thanks man.....I will also add a few things and try to make it more conducive to the job that I am applying for. __________________ Olajuwon.....at his peak arguably the best player in the history of basketball
?

Yesterday, 11:40 PM	? #16
Member Since: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,279 Member: #34755	???
	As for the rest of you i am thoroughly disappointed. To be a little more specific I am applying for a Business Tax Representative position with the state of CA. Obviously my experience in sales and such does not allow me to answer these questions thoroughly and in the way i feel will give me a chance for the job so i was hoping for some help. Tough times calls for desperate measures. __________________ Olajuwon.....at his peak arguably the best player in the history of basketball
?

Yesterday, 11:54 PM	? #17
Contributing Member Since: May 2000 Posts: 4,834 Member: #1451	???
	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_O'Leary George O'Leary In 2001, O'Leary left Georgia Tech to take over as the head coach for the University of Notre Dame. A few days after he was hired, inaccuracies were discovered in his published biographical sketch. In the biographical sketch, it stated that O'Leary had earned a master's degree from "NYU-Stony Brook University," a non-existent institution and actually two separate institutions over 50 miles apart.[9] In fact, he had taken only two courses at SUNY - Stony Brook, and never graduated.[10] He also claimed that he had earned three letters in football at the University of New Hampshire, when the school claimed he had not even played in one game. O'Leary said in a statement released that day, "Due to a selfish and thoughtless act many years ago, I have personally embarrassed Notre Dame, its alumni and fans."[11] O'Leary blamed the inaccuracies on "resume padding" that had followed him through his career, admitting: "In seeking employment I prepared a resume that contained inaccuracies regarding my completion of course work for a master's degree and also my level of participation in football at my alma mater. These misstatements were never stricken from my resume or biographical sketch in later years."
?

Posting Rules You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is On

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:44 AM.

Source: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=226687

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CIA off Austin Peay's campus! | Fight Back!

Getting ready for 'CIA Off Campus' protest. (Fight Back! News/Staff)

Clarksville, TN - On Sept. 26, students, including members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), joined parents, anti-war veterans and alumni of Austin Peay State University to resist Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruitment on campus. Students petitioned the Office of Career Services, which invited the CIA to campus. The protesters were removed by force by the Clarksville Police Department as they questioned the CIA about their activities.

Speakers at the rally included U.S. Army veteran and concerned parent Lara Davis who said, ?The CIA is responsible for or complicit in the killing of U.S. citizens, assassinations, torture, kidnapping, drug trafficking, overthrowing democratically elected governments and propping up military dictatorships and puppet governments.? Protesters surrounding the speakers held signs saying, ?CIA off campus!?, ?CIA, how many kids did you kill today??, ?CIA=Cocaine Importing Agency? and ?Money for education, not for war!?

Another U.S. Army veteran and student, David Jennings said, ?We stand in solidarity with Syrians in their struggle against CIA-trained and funded terrorists that compose the so-called ?Free Syrian Army?.? The rally was part of a nationwide week of actions in solidarity with the anti-war and international solidarity activists raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury two years ago this week.

After addressing the crowd opposing CIA crimes, protesters marched on the Office of Career Services and delivered a petition with over 125 signatures. The petition urged the university administration to uphold the student code of conduct - specifically that the university not allow any organization that routinely violates international law, commits human rights abuses, and/or operates in contradiction with the high standards outlined in the student code of conduct, to organize or recruit students on the Austin Peay State University campus.

Later, several people from the rally went into the CIA recruitment event and attempted to question the CIA representatives directly about their involvement in torture, assassinations, overthrowing democratically elected governments and other crimes. The CIA offered no response to these questions. Students handed out flyers with a timeline detailing the CIA?s nefarious actions since its establishment. The flyers called for an end to repression of anti-war and international solidarity activists. Then, members of the Clarksville police department forcibly dragged an SDS member out of the room, snatched the flyers out of his hands, and threatened to arrest everyone if they continued to hand out flyers, question the CIA, or otherwise exercise free speech and free assembly in the student union.

Source: http://www.fightbacknews.org/2012/9/28/cia-austin-peay-s-campus

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Nissan offers Leaf discounts to spur sales - seattlepi.com

DETROIT (AP) ? Nissan is offering cheap leases and big discounts on the Leaf because of slow sales of the all-electric car.

Nissan Motor Co. sold only 4,228 Leafs this year through August, almost a third fewer than a year ago.

It also has a big inventory of the cars nationwide. At the end of August it had enough 2012 models in stock to supply dealers for 114 days, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. Automakers consider a 60-day supply to be optimal.

Earlier this month, Nissan started offering Leafs for $219 per month with $2,999 down for 32 months. That's down from $249 per month earlier in the year.

Also, the TrueCar.com auto pricing site says Nissan raised discounts to $3,250 per Leaf in August from $850 in January.

The Leaf, which can go up to 100 miles on battery power from a single charge, starts at $36,050, including shipping.

Nissan joins General Motors Co., the maker of the Chevrolet Volt in offering cheap leases and big discounts on electric cars. The Volt is the Leaf's main competitor and Chevrolet is discounting the $40,000 car by up to $10,000, including a $249 per month lease deal.

The slow sales are a clear sign that Americans won't buy the expensive electric cars en masse unless the prices are cut, making them competitive with conventional vehicles. With the discounts, Volt sales have quadrupled this year to more than 13,000.

Both cars are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles. The credit is not included in the discounts.

Leaf sales were hurt in part because the company sent vehicles to all 50 states this year, cutting supplies to California, the No. 1 Leaf market last year, said David Reuter, a Nissan spokesman. The company sold almost 10,000 Leafs last year and had hoped to double that this year, he said.

"The sales overall have not met our expectations, but we're working hard to keep pushing," Reuter said.

Globally, Nissan has sold 38,000 Leafs so far this year and is on target to reach expectations of 40,000, he said.

About 70 percent of Leaf sales in the U.S. are purchases, with the rest leases, he said.

The discounts are on 2012 models. The 2013 models won't be at dealers until early next year, when Nissan begins producing them at a factory in Tennessee, Reuter said.

He also said Nissan has bought back two Leafs from customers in Arizona, where the company has received complaints that the batteries aren't holding as much electricity as they did when they were purchases. If the batteries don't hold as much electricity, the cars can't go as far on a charge.

But Reuter said all lithium-ion batteries, including those that power other electric cars and consumer electronics, lose capacity over time. The cars that were replaced had thousands of miles on them and the battery storage capacity loss was normal, he said.

Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Nissan-offers-Leaf-discounts-to-spur-sales-3902849.php

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Bellwether Enterprise Announces Total Production, Largest Loan ...

CLEVELAND, Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --?Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital, LLC (Bellwether Enterprise), the multifamily and commercial banking subsidiary of Enterprise Community Investment, Inc. (Enterprise), today announced it has provided more than $421 million in financing since launching on May 31, 2012. The breakdown by property type is as follows:

• Multifamily rental housing:????? $211 million
• Retail:???????????????????????????????? ??$114 million
• Hospitality:???????????????????????????? ?$58 million
• Healthcare:???????????????????????????? $22 million
• Office:??????????????????????????????????? $12 million
• Industrial:????????????????????????????? ?? $4 million

"As Enterprise celebrates 30 years of innovation and leadership, we are pleased to announce strong results since Bellwether Enterprise's first day as a new organization," said Lamar Seats, CEO of Bellwether Enterprise. "Bellwether Enterprise, in addition to its commercial mortgage banking platform, will continue to focus on financing affordable and moderate income rental housing."

The most recent loan totaled approximately $75 million and was provided to a Cincinnati-based owner/operator for the refinancing of five garden style apartment properties in Texas and two garden style properties in Ohio. It was originated in Bellwether Enterprise's Cincinnati office and was closed and securitized using a Freddie Mac Capital Markets execution.

"Bellwether Enterprise is on track to reach $1.4 billion in mortgage production volume for the 2012 calendar year," said Ned Huffman, president of Bellwether Enterprise. "The success of this transaction demonstrates our commitment to provide the most comprehensive financing solutions for our customers across all multifamily and commercial property types."

In May, Enterprise's Multifamily Mortgage Finance division merged with Bellwether Real Estate Capital to expand its collective geographic reach, and multifamily and commercial banking product offerings for borrowers across the country.

For a full list of Bellwether Enterprise services, go to www.BellwetherEnterprise.com/products.

SOURCE Enterprise Community Investment, Inc.

Source: http://www.businessreviewusa.com/press_releases/bellwether-enterprise-announces-total-production-largest-loan-since-launch

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Is this the first authentic Budget 2013 leak? ? NAMA Wine Lake

September 26, 2012 by namawinelake

Yesterday, the Irish pension industry held a key conference ? the Irish Life pensions conference ? and you won?t be surprised to learn that it is manoeuvring in advance of the Budget 2013 announcements in December to avoid further measures which will eat into its business ? nothing surprising in that, and in fact the industry might be praised for getting its tuppence worth in early. You can expect lots of similar sabre-rattling and batons-on-shields in the next two months in the run-up to the actual budget announcement. However, yesterday distinguished itself because the boss at the Department of Finance delivered a speech and Charlie Weston at the Independent today reports ?Secretary general of the Department of Finance John Moran told the conference the State had signed up to delivering a further ?900m in savings from pensions in the period up to 2012, ?including a move to standard rate tax relief on pension contributions over that time?.?

This is new.

The Memorandum of Understanding with the bailout Troika makes no reference to pensions at all, in the context of Budget 2013 ? see below. So if the Independent?s reporting is correct, then it appears to be a major piece of news that pensions will yield such results in the forthcoming budget.

Last week in the Dail, the Sinn Fein finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan to estimate the effect of reducing the allowance rate on pension contributions to the lower rate of tax, 20% and also reducing the earnings cap to ?75,000. The response was that it would generate ?540m per annum though there are caveats. This is the full exchange.

Deputy Pearse Doherty: To ask the Minister for Finance the earnings cap for pensions contributions; and the estimated return to the Exchequer if the earnings cap was reduced to ?75,000 and pensions tax reliefs then granted at 20%.

Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the current annual earnings cap of ?115,000 which operates to limit the level of tax-relieved personal pension contributions in any one year. The annual earnings cap acts, in conjunction with age-related percentage limits of annual earnings, to put a ceiling on the annual amount of tax relief an individual taxpayer can obtain on pension contributions.

A breakdown of the cost of tax relief on employee contributions to occupational pension schemes is not available by income tax rate, as tax returns by employers to the Revenue Commissioners of employee contributions to such schemes are aggregated at employer level. An historical breakdown is available by tax rate of the tax relief claimed on contributions to personal pension plans ? Retirement Annuity Contracts (RACs) and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs) ? by the self-employed and others, to the extent that the contributions have been included in the personal tax returns of those taxpayers. There is, therefore, only a limited statistical basis for providing definitive figures.

However, by making certain assumptions about the available information, the Revenue Commissioners inform me that the combined estimated full year yield to the Exchequer from reducing the current annual earnings cap of ?115,000 to ?75,000 and confining tax relief to the standard rate of 20% in respect of individual contributions to occupational pension schemes, RACs and PRSAs would be about ?540 million.

Posted in IMF, Irish economy, Politics | 4 Comments

Source: http://namawinelake.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/is-this-the-first-authentic-budget-2013-leak/

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Kendall Jenner Bikini Photos: THG Hot Bodies Countdown #75!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/09/kendall-jenner-bikini-photos-thg-hot-bodies-countdown-number-75/

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Sennheiser announces U 320 gaming headset | Expert Reviews

Posted on 27 Sep 2012 at 16:18

Audio specialist Sennheiser has officially announced a new universal U 320 gaming headset, promising compatibility with the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, Mac and PC platforms.

Designed to provide comfort during extended gaming sessions, the U 320 uses an open-acoustic design to create a broader sound - an improvement over full closed-ear headphones - while the 'CircleFlex' soft-padded ear pads are designed to adjust automatically the the contour's of the listener's head. Weighing 284g and with a Frequency response rated at 15-23,000Hz, it's well equipped for gaming audio.

The built-in noise-cancelling microphone designed to cut out ambient sounds for improved recording clarity - a key feature of headsets designed for in-game voice chat - includes an automated mute function which kicks in when the microphone's boom-arm is raised. A volume control is included on the cable, providing control of both the earphone volume and the microphone volume, while a side-tone switch allows the player to monitor his or her voice while playing.

The headset's biggest feature is its promise of cross-platform compatibility. Unlike some gaming headsets, which need to be purchased for a specific platform, Sennheiser's U 320 is compatible with all major gaming platforms including the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and PC.

"The U 320 ensures the best conditions for enjoying your favourite game," Christian Ern, Sennheiser's product manager, said at the unveiling. "We've worked hard to develop a consistent sound, regardless of the platform, and believe that our efforts will contribute to players everywhere enjoying a better sound experience."

A 4m cable with 2.5mm connector for use with the Xbox should be long enough for most armchair gamers, a pair of RCA jacks for connection to a TV or games console and USB connectivity for the PlayStation 3, PC or Mac.

The Sennheiser U 320 is launching this month, priced at ?109.99.

Author: Gareth Halfacree

Source: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/headphones/1294915/sennheiser-announces-u-320-gaming-headset

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Tesla unveils faster electric car charging station

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (AP) ? Tesla Motors Inc. unveiled a solar-powered charging station on Monday that it said will make refueling electric vehicles on long trips about as fast as stopping for gas and a bathroom break in a conventional car.

CEO Elon Musk said at a news conference at the company's design studio that the company's roadside Supercharger has been installed at six highway rest stops in California.

The innovation is "the answer to the three major problems that are holding back electrical vehicles, or at least people think are holding back electrical vehicles," Musk said before a curtain was lifted from a giant model of one of the devices. "One is this question of being able to drive long distances conveniently."

The free stations are designed to fully charge Tesla's new Model S sedan in about an hour, and a half-hour-long charge can produce enough energy for a 150-mile trip, he said.

The first six, which were developed and deployed in secret, are in Barstow, Hawthorne, Lebec, Coalinga, Gilroy and Folsom. Tesla spokeswoman Christina Ra said they are open only to company employees, but would be available to the public in early October.

Musk said his Palo Alto-based company planned to have more stations running throughout California and in parts of Nevada and Oregon by the end of the year, and expected to blanket "almost the entire United States" within two years.

Tesla unveiled the Model S, its first mass-market vehicle, in June. The base model costs sells for $49,900 after a federal tax credit.

Along with persuading consumers that electric vehicles are practical, the charging stations were developed with an eye toward alleviating doubts about their environmental effects. Musk said the solar-powered stations in California would produce more clean energy than is needed to keep cars running.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-09-25-US-Tesla-Supercharger/id-6f45e5d9754d46fab6c3c3e7dde3994e

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Let's Get Honest with 'The Avengers'

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Video: S&P 500 Down for Fifth Day

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/49183935/

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PFT: Reid says 'Vick is our quarterback. Period.'

AP

As the tipping point becomes a boiling point in the lockout of the officials, it?s important to remember that all of the blame doesn?t fall on the shoulders of the replacement officials.

The final play was reviewed, and the ruling on the field was upheld.

Under normal circumstances, the decision would be made exclusively by the referee.? Now, with the non-replacement league supervisor in the replay booth along with the non-replacement replay official, the procedure has been, we?re told, blurred a bit, allowing the replacement referee to get input from the folks who otherwise would be saying, essentially, ?Figure it out, Hochuli.?

If the non-replacement replay official and the non-replacement league supervisor didn?t tell the replacement referee to overturn the call, the non-replacements deserve a lot of the blame.

Make no mistake about it.? This one could have been overturned.? Rule 15, Section 9 makes the question of whether a pass was ?ruled complete/incomplete/intercepted? subject to replay review, with no exception for questions of simultaneous possession.

Yeah, we know the ESPN call says simultaneous possession can?t be reviewed by replay.? We disagree.? If it wasn?t reviewable by replay, it wouldn?t have been reviewed by replay.? It was, so it is.? (The only aspect that isn?t reviewable is the question of whether Seahawks receiver Golden Tate pushed off before jumping, because pass interference is a judgment call.)

Still, while the replacement officials don?t deserve all of the blame, the current circumstance ? with non-replacements in the replay booth having a hand in debacles like last night?s final play and Sunday?s replay gaffes in Minnesota and Tennessee ? the system that the NFL has created via its effort to break the officials? union has given rise to these errors, and so ultimately the league bears the blame for what we are witnessing.

That said, the locked-out officials should be blamed, too.? After all, the members of the NFL Referees Association who moonlight as supervisors of officiating at major college conferences made clear that anyone who accepts a short-term assignment as a replacement official with the NFL will lose his regular college gig.? And so the NFLRA has contributed to the low quality of the officiating that we are now experiencing by pressuring the second-best officials into not working for the NFL, as they did during the 2001 lockout.

Regardless of the blame, the time has come to get it done.? If they don?t, the next step could be boycotts and assaults on NFL sponsors.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/24/andy-reid-michael-vick-is-our-quarterback/related/

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Man's Failing Heart Heals Itself on Day of Emergency Transplant

Sep 25, 2012 6:01am

Getty Images

A miraculous thing happened the day Michael Crowe was set to receive a potentially life-saving heart transplant. Doctors had determined the surgery would be ineffective ? but his heart suddenly started beating again.

Crowe, a 23-year-old pharmacy student from Omaha, had been diagnosed with acute myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, likely caused by a viral infection. When his mother brought him to the emergency room at his local hospital on Aug. 14, doctors found his heart was only functioning at about 25 percent efficiency. The hospital referred him to the Nebraska Medical Center, and by the time he was admitted to the intensive care unit there, his heart?s efficiency had dropped below 10 percent.

?If he had come to us any later, his heart would have just stopped,? Dr. John Um, Surgical Director of Heart Transplantation at Nebraska Medical Center told ABC News.

Doctors hooked Crowe up to a heart-lung machine that would essentially act as his heart for him, pumping blood throughout his body.

?When the heart stops, that?s defined as clinical death,? Dr. Um said. ?In this case, his body only stayed alive because the machine was pumping his blood for him.?

Crowe was immediately placed on a list for an emergency heart transplant, and remained on the heart-lung machine in a medically induced coma until an appropriate donor heart became available.

After nearly three weeks, a heart was found.? The good news was followed by bad, though: tests revealed he had contracted a blood infection. Doctors said he probably would not survive the transplant surgery.

About an hour later, one of his doctors noticed something strange ? his blood pressure was going up, something that would be impossible if his body was only receiving blood through the machine.

?His heart started working again on its own,? Dr. Um told ABC. ?The left side of his heart was pumping blood again. The right side was still weak, so we slowly eased him off the machine. At this point, he was in pretty good shape.?

Dr. Um said this was the first time one of his patients has been on an external heart-lung machine for this long before his heart started beating again.

?He?s home now, doing great,? Dr. Um said. ?He?s really, really lucky.?

Um said doctors seem to be seeing more cases similar to this, in which a failing heart heals itself.

?The interesting thing is that if he had gotten a transplant right away, we would have never known if he could have recovered on his own,? Um said. ?Now that we have technology that allows people to remain on external heart machines longer, we could see this more.?

In the simplest terms, Dr. Um explained, the heart got sick, triggering an immune response that shut the heart down to fight the infection, and eventually healed itself.? Technology kept Crowe?s body alive while his heart healed.

Although there could be effects on his heart in the future, Dr. Um said young people who suffer from acute heart problems like Crowe?s tend to make a full recovery, healing fully.

SHOWS: Good Morning America

Source: http://feeds.abcnews.com/click.phdo?i=784b51fb5e21cc249826f8cc9208f9e0

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